From the Windy City Times:

Illinois state representatives have filed a much-anticipated marriage equality bill in the Illinois General Assembly, local LGBT groups announced Feb. 8.

Reps. Greg Harris, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy have introduced the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which would allow same-sex couples to marry in Illinois.

So, that's pretty great. High fives for Representatives Harris, Mell, and Cassidy. Supporters of the bill warn that it might not pass this time around, but others are still optimistic it has a reasonable chance of getting through in the near future.

If passed, the law would improve upon the civil unions Illinois now allows, as current law still prevents partners from filing taxes jointly. Sorry. Did I just ruin the mood by bringing tax law into this? Too bad. It's important. Certainly more important than what this paragraph was originally going to be, which was a clunky joke about Phil Donahue gay marrying Pizzaria Uno.

[Image via AP]